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Having cooled rage, not a maddened hand Against all that belongs to others, having bound it with the chains of reason, Not having scattered a false opinion of the heart, Not having cast swelling pride to the earth with teachings, Not having called forth a tear with fountains of tears, But having one terrible medicine, a hunter of honor, Passion, and a true medicine for death. Nor will I ever sit enthroned together in synods Of geese or cranes, fighting confusedly; Where there is strife, where there is turmoil and shames previously hidden, Gathered into one place of enemies. For because of these things, I sit in the midst of the lowly, A healer of passions, being myself without sickness. 1269 For it is not for my grey hairs to play, and to be a hireling shamefully In place of thrones, for which they fighting Are divided, and cut the whole world lawlessly. Alas, alas, for our great sorrows! Let these things, for whom it is dear, be also the might of apes; But I shall be filled with Christ, being at rest. But if it is evil to cast away the reins of the God-minded people, Let the heads of those who have shaken them off know, So that, like a swift horse that spits out its bit, Passion may lead them, carrying them to cliffs or to rocks. I pray that all things dear to God may be a care to these men, But if worse things, to have my ears far away. 1270

18. Against those who envy. Since I came to God, leaving the world, by many

I am spun about and by evil triple waves; for envy blows against me, far from God Wishing to cast me, and to take a fellow in darkness. Whence are friends my enemies, the good evil? They are all one, equally doing evil; Whence, bearing such an exiled word To so great a city, and what more having gained, Which I know as the first of those from the sun's rays, Was I pushed away by sickness and by evil attendants? A trial by fire, I think, this is, and I accept it; only May I attain glory, O Christ, your unenvying glory. 1271

19. A lamentation over his own sufferings. Often Christ the king, with evils

toiling great ones I have blamed; for even a master has borne from a servant A servile muttering spoken quietly in his mouth, And as a good father even of his foolish son Has often received the echo of the boldness of public words, Therefore may you also, O God, be gracious to my words, Which a grieving heart, O most gentle one, will send to you. The pang of a heart belching forth is a small cure for sufferings. Christ the king, why have you pierced me from above with so many evils, Since I slipped from my mother to mother earth? If you did not also bind me in dark loins, 1272 why with so many sorrows, both on sea and on land. Both by enemies and friends and by the worst leaders, By strangers, and by countrymen both openly, or those who lie in wait, And by contrary words, and by stony storms Have I been struck? Who will recount them all distinctly? I alone am sung of by all, not for my words, Nor for the strength of my hand having a pre-eminence over others, But my griefs and groans all around me, as upon a lion Evil dogs bark from all sides, a pitiful song, Both in the east and in the west. Perhaps one day this too might happen, That some man relaxing his mind at feasts, or some wayfarer, Or someone striking his fingers on a well-strung lyre, With notes that do not speak, a companion of my sorrows, 1273 might remember Gregory, whom among the Cappadocians The small city of Diocesarea nourished. But laborious Wealth you gave to others, boundless; to others sons Noble; another is beautiful, another is valiant, another an orator. But for me there is glory in sorrows; and at me all The bitter arrows of your sweet hand you have emptied. I am another, new Job; but the cause is no longer the same. For you do not lead me to contend, O blessed one, as some champion Against a harsh athlete, trusting in my strength, So that to the victor you might grant a prize and glory. I am not yet so great, nor is there glory in my sorrows. 1274 But I pay these things as a penalty for sin. Who seeks for sins among the many, who is more burdened than others for you. I will speak out to all what my mind has kept within; Perhaps a speechless word might tear away my sin. I thought, when indeed I received you alone as my dear portion, All at once of my livelihood

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Λύσσαν ἐπιψύξας, οὐ χέρα μαινομένην Πᾶσιν ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίοισι, λόγου δεσμοῖσι πεδήσας, Οὐ ψευδῆ κραδίης δόξαν ἀποσκεδάσας, Οὐ τύφον οἰδαίνοντα διδάγμασιν ἐς χθόνα ῥίψας Οὐ πηγαῖς δακρύων δάκρυον ἐκκαλέσας, Ἀλλ' ἓν φάρμακον αἰνὸν ἔχων, θηρήτορα τιμῆς Θυμὸν, καὶ θανάτου φάρμακον ἀτρεκέως. Οὐδέ τί που συνόδοισιν ὁμόθρονος ἕσσομ' ἔγωγε Χηνῶν ἢ γεράνων ἄκριτα μαρναμένων· Ἔνθ' ἔρις, ἔνθα μόθος τε καὶ αἴσχεα κρυπτὰ πάροιθεν Εἰς ἕνα δυσμενέων χῶρον ἀγειρόμενα. Τῶνδε γὰρ εἵνεκ' ἔγωγε μέσος χθαμαλοῖσι κάθημαι Ἰητρὸς παθέων, αὐτὸς ἄνουσος ἐών. 1269 Οὐ γὰρ ἐμῆς πολιῆς παίζειν, καὶ λάτριν ἀεικῶς Ἔμμεναι ἀντὶ θρόνων, ὧν πέρι μαρνάμενοι Σχίζονται, καὶ κόσμον ὅλον τέμνουσιν ἀθέσμως. Αἲ αἲ τῶν μεγάλων ἡμετέρων ἀχέων! Ταῦτα μὲν, οἷσι φίλον, καὶ κερκώπων κράτος εἴη· Αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ Χριστοῦ πλήσομαι ἀτρεμέων. Εἰ δὲ κακὸν λαοῖο θεόφρονος ἡνία ῥῖψαι, Ἴστωσαν κεφαλαὶ τῶν ἀποσεισαμένων, Ὄφρα κεν, ὡς θοὸν ἵππον, ἀποπτυστῆρα χαλινῶν, Θυμὸς ἄγοι κρημνοῖς, ἢ σκοπέλοισι φέρων. Εὔχομαι, ὥς κεν ἅπαντα Θεῷ φίλα τοῖσδε μεμήλοι, Εἰ δὲ χερειότερα, τηλόθεν οὔατ' ἔχειν. 1270

ΙΗʹ. Πρὸς τοὺς φθονοῦντας. Ἐξ οὗ Θεῷ προσῆλθον ἐκλιπὼν βίον, Πολλαῖς

στροβοῦμαι καὶ κακαῖς τρικυμίαις· Ἀντιπνέει γὰρ ὁ φθόνος, πόῤῥω Θεοῦ Βαλεῖν θέλων με, καὶ λαβεῖν ὁμόσκοτον. Πόθεν φίλοι μοι δυσμενεῖς, καλοὶ κακοί; Ἕν εἰσι πάντες ἐξ ἴσου δρῶντες κακῶς· Πόθεν λόγον τοσοῦτον ἔκδημον φέρων Πόλει τοσαύτῃ, καὶ τί πλεῖον κερδάνας, Ἣν οἶδα πρώτην τῶν ἀφ' ἡλίου βολῶν, Ὤσθην νόσῳ τε καὶ κακοῖς παραστάταις; Πύρωσις, οἶμαι, τοῦτο, καὶ στέργω· μόνον ∆όξης τύχοιμι, Χριστὲ, σῆς τῆς ἀφθόνου. 1271

ΙΘʹ. Σχετλιαστικὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν αὐτοῦ παθῶν. Πολλάκι Χριστὸν ἄνακτα κακοῖς

μογέων μεγάλοισιν Ὠνοσάμην· καὶ γάρ τις ἄναξ θεράποντος ἔνεικε ∆ούλιον ἐν στομάτεσσι λαλεύμενον ἠρέμα τρυσμὸν, Ὡς δὲ πατὴρ ἀγαθὸς καὶ ἄφρονος υἷος ἑοῖο Πολλάκις ἀμφαδίων ἐπέων θράσος ἦχ' ὑπέδεκτο, Τοὔνεκα καὶ σὺ λόγοισιν ἐμοῖς, Θεὸς, ἵλαος εἴης, Οὕς τοι ἀκηχεμένη κραδίη, ἀγανώτατε, πέμψει. Βαιὸν ἄκος παθέεσσιν ἐρευγομένη φρενὸς ὠδίς. Χριστὲ ἄναξ, τί τόσοις με κακοῖς διέπερσας ἄνωθεν, Ἐξότε μητρὸς ὄλισθον ἐμῆς ἐπὶ μητέρα γαῖαν; Εἰ μὴ καὶ λαγόνεσσιν ἐνὶ σκοτίῃσι πέδησας, 1272 Τίπτε τόσοις ἀχέεσσι, καὶ εἰν ἁλὶ, καὶ κατὰ γαῖαν. Ἐχθροῖσίν τε φίλοις τε καὶ ἡγεμόνεσσι κακίστοις, Ξείνοις, ἡμεδαποῖς τε καὶ ἀμφαδὸν, ἢ λοχόωσι, Μύθοις τ' ἀντιθέτοις, καὶ λαϊνέαις νιφάδεσσι Βέβλημαι; τίς ἅπαντα διακριδὸν ἐξαγορεύσει; Μοῦνος ἐγὼ πάντεσσιν ἀοίδιμος, οὐδ' ἐπὶ μύθοις, Οὔτ' ἐπὶ κάρτεϊ χειρὸς ἔχων περιώσιον ἄλλων, Ἄλγεα δὲ στοναχάς τε περισταδὸν, ὥστε λέοντα Πάντοθεν ἀμφυλάουσι κακοὶ κύνες, οἰκτρὸν ἄεισμα, Ἀντολίῃ τε δύσει τε. Τάχ' ἄν ποτε καὶ τὸ γένοιτο, Ἤ τις ἀνὴρ θαλίῃσι λύων φρένα, ἤ τις ὁδίτης, Ἤ τις ἐϋκρέκτῳ κιθάρῃ ἐπὶ δάκτυλα βάλλων, Φθόγγοις οὐ λαλέουσιν, ἐμῶν ἀχέων ὀαριστὴς, 1273 Γρηγορίου μνήσαιτο, τὸν ἔτρεφε Καππαδόκεσσιν Ἡ ∆ιοκαισαρέων ὀλίγη πτόλις. Ἀλλ' ἐπίμοχθον Ἄλλοις πλοῦτον ὄπασσας ἀπείριτον· υἱέας ἄλλοις Ἐσθλούς· κάλλιμος ἄλλος, ὁ δ' ἄλκιμος, ὃς δ' ἀγορητής. Αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ κλέος ἐστὶν ἐπ' ἄλγεσιν· εἰς δέ με πάντας Σῆς γλυκερῆς παλάμης πικροὺς ἐκένωσας ὀϊστούς. Ἄλλος Ἰὼβ νέος εἰμί· τὸ δ' αἴτιον οὐκέθ' ὁμοῖον. Οὐ γὰρ ἀεθλεύσοντά μ' ἄγεις, μάκαρ, ὥς τιν' ἄριστον Ἀντίον ἀθλητῆρος ἀπήνεος, ἀλκὶ πεποιθὼς, Ὥς κεν ἀριστεύσαντι γέρας καὶ κῦδος ὀπάσσῃς. Οὔπω τόσσος ἔγωγ', οὐδ' ἄλγεσι κῦδος ἔπεστι. 1274 Ποινὴν δ' ἀμπλακίης τίνω τάδε. Τίς δέ θ' ἁμαρτὰς ∆ίζημ' ἐν πλεόνεσσιν, ὅ σοι πλέον ἄχθεται ἄλλων. Ἐξερέω πάντεσσιν, ὅ μοι νόος ἐντὸς ἔεργε· Ἦ τάχα κεν δρύψειεν ἁμαρτάδα μῦθος ἄναυδος. Ὠϊόμην, ὅτε δή σε φίλον λάχος οἶον ἐδέγμην, Πάντ' ἄμυδις βιότοιο